Six, maybe seven, serial blasts in Mumbai. Five, maybe six, trains affected on the western line. 70, maybe 80, dead acccording to DGP P.S. Pasricha. Home minister Shivaraj Patil is saying that he is going to meet the prime minister Manmohan Singh “and Sonia Gandhi” (as if that is a rule). Cities have been put on red alert across the country, and security will be “beefed up” in the high-security areas.

By tomorrow morning, if not late tonight itself, the BJP will be pointing fingers at the abolition of POTA and calling for a ridiculous bandh. By tomorrow morning, if not late tonight itself, some vague groups will be named, if not the Lashkar-e-Toiba itself. By tomorrow morning, if not late tonight itself, some bakras will be arrested to show the security apparatus in good light.

Bombay police commissioner A.N. Roy is saying on television that there was no prior intelligence. But, given the regularity with which terror incidents are occuring across the country, given the impunity with which terrorists are targeting temples, mosques, trains, buses, shopping complexes, science labs, do you really believe that the Indian State wants to protect the ordinary Indian citizen?

Have we created a “State” where only the rich and famous, the bold and beautiful and powerful can be secure in their lives? Do we have the manpower, the technology, the resources, the will to ward off terror? Or are we as a culture incapable of water-tight security, which our politicians and bureaucrats and police and intelligence officers are exploiting to the hilt? Is our short memory their only escape-route?

Is terror, in its most devious, destructive form, now moving from the borders into the heart of India? And how much longer will we tolerate this kind of nonchalance from our political and administrative masters?

where are all the Bukhari’s, Geelani’s, Akhtars,Sheikhs,Shahs and Khans.
Why arent they giving call to community people to handover the terrorists
who are but hiding within their Mohallas.
I am just waiting to see if the WORLD sees this in the same light as London or Madrid blasts??

The progression of this thread shows what our attention spans are. From bomb blasts to English vs Kannada to a personal attack on KP. I am not surprised that we don’t do much to protect ourselves from terrorism.

We need the courage to tame militants in their own turf, even if it means crossing over to a neighbouring country. Hit where it matters. Sadly, this won’t happen with the present bunch at the helm, nor in the near future either.

Tomorrow, politics will take over Mumbai blasts. A few days later the issue will be forgotten, only to be reminded by another blast, another location!

Another thing stuck my mind. Why should we always ask What Government has done ?. As thoughtful citizen we should go out and help people , donate blood .Locate doctors or NGO’s and provide first aid on the spot. Look for missing one and try to locate instead of filing report in local police station .

Surely, Shivraj Patil has to rank among the most incompetent Home Ministers India has had for having done absolutely NOTHING in his 2 pathetic years in office, only having overseen an increase in Maoist and terrorist violence, and fiddled as India burned….

All the places mentioned( temples, mosques, trains, buses, shopping complexes, science labs,)here are true and we can add some more valunerable places but for MOSQUES. Have we ever heard of any blasts in any mosque, leave alone other places, even in hard core Gujarat it won’t happen.
Lord give our rulers some sense and free hand to our security agencies.

I’m not being insenstive…but imagine the sheer carnage were it to be “Second Class” or even “Gandhi” going to pieces. As far as I remember these classes would be packed like sardines. At least they try short-handing on Sardines by filling up the tin can with water/sauce.

I think they chose first class because during the rush hour it is impossible to get into second class compartments with any parcels or baggage. You have better chances of doing that in a 1st class compartment.

@ Kulli Mutt
This was the first thought that occurred in my mind as soon as i read those lines. The first class was targetted (acc to the various news channels). My question is ” Arent the rich and the famous not safe in this country anymore?”. Is it a crime to be rich? We shouldnt be valuing their lives anymore? Or a loss in a Rich family is not “taken into consideration”.

there is no point in pointing out that blasts happened in Mumbai local were on first class compartments. In Mumbai locals both I class and II class are equally crowded. IIRC the fare to commute between two stations in a II class compartment is around 10 times higher than the the I class fare, but when it comes to season tickets the differntial is 2-3 times. So regular commuters travelling in I class in Mumbai local are mostly office goers with moderate income,they are not super rich or anything like that.

Govt lets down the country
When all the energies of the govt is concentrated on devising policies to advance the personal agenda of each cabinet ministers who have become a law unto themselves making a mockery of coherace in adminstration, it becomes a fertile environment for the enemies of the country to take advantage. Add to this the fact that UPA govt is full of tainted ministers who are enjoying constitutional protection and also ever since it took office it has left an impression of relaxation on security front by reversing the policies of the NDA govt, it has left the field free for militants to strike at will. That is exactly what has happened when the terrorists struct at the heart of economic activity in Mumbai to destabilise the country. Govt have further strenghened this impression because till now not a single person of nearly fifty involved in 1993 serial bombing has been convicted and more than demonstrates the ineffictive of our judical system. We can only satisfy ourselves in mouthing platitudes like let us stay together and foil the designs of the terorists to divide us. Then we send red signals and tightened security measures and this has become a joke. Is this type of freedom the country bargained for? Unfortuantely, our Prime Minister sticks like a sore thumb.with his reputatiion for integrity and honesty while all other surrounding him are in a competitive rhetoric to destroy him because it is so alien a culture to them. It is time the PM takes charge and immediately call a meeting of all the political parties. For God’s sake keep the communists out of circualtion.

Blame the people. It is unfortunate that we don’t have a good leader in our country who can take bold steps and act against fanatic muslims. If someone from BJP talks about it so called “buddijivis” (Laddijivis) will say BJP is “communal”.
Congress destroyed our country for 40 years..and now too. There are so many illegal bangladesi muslims in country and congress gave them voting rights.
We need a leader with “GUTS” who can take strict action against anti-nationals.
We don’t need politicians who are buttering anti-nationals by giving voting rights. We lost almost half of Kashmir because of Congress.
Best thing will be giving our defence ministry to Isreal for 5 years. Then see the changes. Isreal people are real “MEN” with guts.

The issue is whether our ‘honourable PM’ takes courage in both hands and act or will he be in Hamletian dilemma to please or not to please the Congress President. Brutus said in defence of his stabbing Julius Ceaser:’Not that I love Ceaser less but I love Rome more’ May be our PM has mixed up the priorities.

Just condemning the attack on innocents by mere rhetoric wont do any good. Action is what is required and our govt should show this by decimitating and rooting out the terrorists.

Does Congress not have any competent men or women to lead this country? such is the sychophancy that they consider sonia and her children to be saviours and cannot see beyond them. Guys like MS Aiyer, Arjun Singh, Shivaraj Patil, PC…abba bah, who are ready to lick the Sonia’s a** just to be in power, blood boils when you think of these sychophants.

India ,like a Eunuch, is building ‘Confidence Building Measures( CBMs) with those idiots who in turn are doing Cross Border Mayhems (CBMs)! I would rather have Bush who talks and takes tough measures than our P.M. who just mouths statements such as ‘ ‘we will not tolerate trrorrism!’

Gen.Thimmiah would have solved the problem half a century back if given one more day. The original dynasty ruler ,took the problem to U.N.! Israel would send its planes and finish the terrorist camps than just take photographs from from useless satellites which we send so often like kites. We are scared that they might bomb us! If we are supposedly 10: 1 strong, atleast we should kill 10 times more but finish the problem once and for all.

Mumbaikar is resilent, daring, caring – No doubt about it. Can we say 1/ 1000th of this to any of our spineless, selfinterested, corrupt politicians.

When is the question ? Reading the above statement which looks like a playback when Advani had uttered the same phrase years ago when our integrity and peace was attacked .yet again and again and again.

Does these kind of statements hold any value?
Do we need to care atleast to what the politicians say?Are they really responsible? How can it be tackled?
Dont we need a well orchestrated effort from Khaaki , Khaadi and K(Q)AZI to bring this to an end ?
How many more unsuspecting lives have to be sacrificed before the perpertrators can be eradicated?
Does the people who harbor and protect these TERRORists in the name of religion and brotherhood hold the same sense of pride towards a country which they have lived and breathed?
Why isnt the Government eradicating or shoot at Point blank when someone has been captured like the redfort storming?
Why do they need to be tried in a court of law when everyone knows nothing would come out?
Where are all the Akhtars(javed) ,Shabanaas,Sheikhs,Khans and assholes hiding and why arent they coming out to muster their community support to handover those hiding?

In a nutshell, the following paragraph in the article should tell us how soft we are :

“But — and here’s the crux of the matter — how long can India, Indians and the Singh government withstand the constant pressure from militant groups before they have to react? By any measure of international diplomacy, they’ve already been extraordinarily patient; compare their restraint with Israel’s response to the kidnapping of its soldier or to the U.S. and Japanese responses to North Korea’s missile tests.”

Who tlod that we r soft people no we are not soft we are tough and solid as a rock tell me what is the motto behind these blasts? I think it is to shatter our solidarity and unity. did it happen? I definetly say no they have not achieved that purpose. People were more supportive and unite than before everybody rushed to help without seeing caste or community of the needy isn’t it not enough to show our solidarity?

I Think we are just targeting Muslims unnecessarily of course they are
responsible for all the happenings but we con’t genera;lise all are bad as we can’t generalise all hindus are good. DG I know ur not in India. Do u know Yesterday Akthar And shabana came out and they were helping the people in the hospital?

I know breing a hindu we all feel tha these muslims should be punished but Please remember that our own President is himself a Muslim.

Now tell me what u all want govt to do shoot each and everybody as the Americans did inthe Iraq in the name of war against terrorism? Is there any outcome? except that only innocents died exact;y same will happen here.

Himse elladdakku utthara alla onnodanna navu saviraru varshada hindene artha madiknodiddeve. Remember King Ashoka tha great who gave up violence inspite of winning a war then why should we go in a path of violence?

I know people will feel that I am telling the ajji kathe but belive me himse is not an answer An eye for an eye will definetly make the world blind thats it.

I too agree that the Govt should take a firm stand on this matter and tjhey should try to solve the problem without using much violence which is harmful for the innocent public than these militants
Ofcourse which may sound quite odd but i think every problem has a solution we have to find out with proper focus

No matter what happens, Mysore is safe in the hands of our ever vigilant Police pyadegalu. I saw the picture of them subjecting 2 teddy bears to bomb detector near the palace and my eyes were filled with tears! Such noble devotion to duty and public good needs to be much appreciated! Now, I feel safe and secure in this royal city and can sleep in peace….